Monday, September 22, 2014

After EXPO

By Maura Gergerich, Toppel Peer Advisor

Many of you attended our Career fair last week to find
jobs/internships or network with employers. You’re probably now ready to sit
back and relax and let the job offers appear in front of you. Unfortunately,
you’re not done yet, but the work still to be done is probably not quite as
stressful for you than talking to dozens of companies in one day. Here’s how to
get started:

1.Get organized

You want to try to sort out everything that happened at
Expo. Make lists of the recruiters that you talked to. Include any business
cards you may have received. Spreadsheets are a great organizational tool for
this kind of thing. Also, make sure to take notes on conversations you may have
had if you didn’t do this earlier. This will be important for when you reach
out to the employers so you are able to jog their memories as to who you are
and where you met because they more than likely talked to tons of students.

2. Make sure your LinkedIn is up to date

Linkedin is a fundamental stop for companies that want to
research future employees. In your busy life however, you might not always
remember to update it regularly. Once it’s up to date and readyto go, Linkedin is an easy way to connect
with recruiters and employers you may have spoken to or been referred to.

3. Follow up with employers

Definitely reach out to the contacts you have made. You can
send an email, message on LinkedIn or a phone call. The mode is less important
than the action itself. This should be done 1-2 days after the career fair so
you can make as memorable of an impression as possible. Also, don’t be super
casual about it. Know what positions you could potentially be hired for at this
company and make sure you tie in your skills to this specific position and let
them know what sets this company apart to you.

4. Continue practicing your interview skills

You want to make sure you don’t mess up your opportunities
if you are given an interview by a company. The more practiced you are, the
less nervous you will be. Think up answers to traditional interview questions
or schedule a practice interview at Toppel.

5. Reflect on your experience

This is an important step for determining what to do for the
next career fair you attend. Ask yourself what you did well and what you could
improve upon. Did you network well? Did you take the right steps to prepare?
All of this information will help you be even better the next time you interact
with an employer.